Top court removes judge from bench for lying under oath

Rejecting as too lenient a recommended 180-day suspension, the Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that a family court judge be removed from office for lying under oath and other transgressions during her 2011 divorce.

In a 5-2 ruling, the state’s top court held that Wayne County Circuit Judge Deborah Ross Adams could not continue in office after lying under oath, the Detroit Free Press reports.

“Testifying falsely under oath is antithetical to the role of a judge who is sworn to uphold the law and seek the truth,” Justice Stephen Markman wrote for the majority.

“When a judge testifies falsely under oath, he or she has failed to demonstrate in his or her personal affairs standards of conduct indispensable to a judge of this state and becomes unfit to sit in judgment of others.”

Adams declined to comment when reached by the newspaper.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “Judge accused of signing her own lawyer’s name on divorce filing fights suspension recommendation”